Newport News Councilwoman Sharon Scott to answer food drive questions

March 03, 2010|By By Joe Lawlor | 247-7874

NEWPORT NEWS — Councilwoman Sharon Scott is expected to hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. today to "share information that supports her claim that the North District Food Drive did operate legally."

The news conference will be at the Office of Human Affairs building on 25th Street and Wickham Avenue.

Scott claims the food drive has had a financial partnership with the Office of Human Affairs, but OHA officials have said that's not the case. Meanwhile, the state is requesting that Scott's food drive committee register as a charity with the state.

The food drive is not a registered charity, but the OHA is an official non-profit agency. In 2007, Scott said she solicited a $1,000 donation from Dominion Resources by giving the IRS tax-exempt identification number of the OHA to Dominion.

OHA officials have said they did not authorize Scott to give the OHA tax-exempt number to anyone, and that if they are involved financially, they become the fiscal agents. None of the donations went through the OHA, said Wendell Braxton, executive director of the OHA.